Lena Rice played competitive tennis for just two years and appeared in only a handful of tournaments but her place is cemented in tennis history.
Rice, who was born on 21 June 150 years ago and died on the same day 41 years later, is the only Irishwoman to have won Wimbledon and is also credited by some historians with inventing the forehand smash.
Rice was part of a remarkable era for Irish tennis, which blossomed in the final years of the 19th century. Three of the four men who won the gentlemen’s singles at The Championships between 1890 and 1896 were from Ireland, including Willoughby Hamilton, who won the title in the same year as Rice.
Helena Bertha Grace Rice was the second youngest of eight children. She was born in New Inn, a village in County Tipperary, and learned to play tennis at the family home. She regularly partnered her sister, Annie, and also had the chance to play at Cahir Lawn Tennis Club with soldiers from a British Army regiment stationed nearby. She had a powerful game and a particularly effective serve.
According to Eileen Bell, writing in the Tipperary Historical Journal, Rice’s first appearance outside County Tipperary was at the Irish Championships in Dublin in 1889, where she was beaten 7-5, 7-5 by Britain’s Blanche Hillyard in the semi-finals. At the same tournament Rice won the mixed doubles with Hamilton and was runner-up in the ladies’ doubles with Hillyard.
A few weeks later Rice made her debut at The Championships, where there were just six entries in the ladies’ singles. After a first-round bye Rice beat May Jacks for the loss of only two games in the semi-finals.
In the All-Comers’ final Rice faced familiar opposition in the shape of Hillyard, who had beaten Rice’s sister for the loss of just three games in the first round. Hillyard won the final 4-6, 8-6, 6-4, but only after a huge struggle. Rice had three match points when she served for the match at 5-3 in the second set but was unable to take any of them.
Twelve months later the field for the ladies’ singles was even smaller, with just four entries, which was to be the lowest in the history of The Championships. With arguably the two best players of the day, Lottie Dod and the pregnant Hillyard, absent, Rice took her chance.
Having beaten Mary Steadman 7-5, 6-2 in her opening match, Rice took on Jacks in the final. It was in this match that Jacks apparently attempted to lob Rice, who responded with what was said to be the first forehand smash in tennis history.
Rice went on to win 6-4, 6-1, taking the last two games without dropping a point. Her reward for winning the title was a first prize of 20 guineas. It was reported that she spent the money on an emerald and diamond ring.
There is no record of Rice ever playing competitively again. She did not return to defend her title in 1891 following the death of her mother.
Rice herself did not enjoy the best of health and on 21 June 1907 she died of a tubercular condition in New Inn, where she had been born 41 years earlier to the very day. She was buried in the village’s tiny cemetery in Downey’s Field.
Although Rice is still the only Irishwoman to have won Wimbledon, she played in an era of great success for Irish tennis. Indeed, in 1890 the Irish completed a clean sweep of the three championship events at the All England Club – the ladies’ singles, gentlemen’s singles and gentlemen’s doubles.
Hamilton, who came from the town of Monasterevin in County Kildare, was nicknamed “The Ghost” because of his slight frame. A fine all-round sportsman, he also represented his country in badminton and football. Hamilton claimed the gentlemen’s singles title at The Championships by beating William Renshaw in the Challenge Round.
Renshaw, who shares with Pete Sampras and Roger Federer the record for the most men’s singles titles (seven), never won at the All England Club again.
The gentlemen’s doubles was won in 1890 by Joshua Pim and Frank Stoker, who was a cousin of Bram Stoker, the creator of Dracula. Pim and Stoker were runners-up the following year and won the title again in 1893.
